How’s Chase?

Chase is heading back into the operating room tonight for a second surgery.

What the CT Scan Showed:
The CT scan results confirmed what the ophthalmology team suspected. There is a significant collection of material in the superior orbit — the upper portion of the eye socket — that the team believes has been causing the pressure in Chase’s eye to rise dangerously. The team is not yet certain whether this material is bleeding from today’s earlier sinus surgery, or infection that has been building over the past several days and has now pushed into the orbital space. In either case the treatment is the same — it needs to be drained.

What the Second Surgery Will Do:
The oculoplastics team will open the eye socket, access the orbital space, and drain the material that is applying pressure to Chase’s eye. The goal is straightforward — relieve the pressure, protect his vision, and remove the source of the problem. The procedure is expected to take one to two hours depending on what they find once inside. If the material is liquid it will drain more easily. If it is thicker it may take longer.

The Incision:
The most likely approach will be through the natural crease of the eyelid, which allows the scar to be hidden within the lid itself. There is a small risk of scarring with this approach but the team is confident it will heal well. We are all aligned — the priority right now is protecting Chase’s eye and vision above all else.